ERA SOUNDS

Welcome to ERA SOUNDS, our magical station where we bust out hip vibes and cool sounds thanks to our in-tune and on-beat musical friends. Each month we'll upload a different mix to our page. Accompanying these awesome mixes is a short dialogue written by our guest DJ and some cool images to go alongside. Turn on, tune in, and hang out! 

ERA Sounds 13 - A Sparkle Star Gown By Hollow Hand

It's been a while... but were back with an absolute gem of a mix from the multi-talented, Brighton based musician, Max Kinghorn-Mills aka Hollow Hand, whose folky, avant-garde sound is bursting with lustrous sonics and cosmic melodies.

Fresh off the back of a successful U.K. tour and release of the third album, we're stoked that Max has found the time to put together - A Sparkle Star Gown - exclusively for ERA Sounds. Nice one.

Before hitting the mix, here's Max in his own words to tell us more about the making Hollow Hand's third album, Your Own Adventure, out now on Curation Records ... in our opinion, it's the best of 2023 so far so be sure to check it out. Max says: 

"The attitude of the album is definitely DIY. About just doing everything yourself and not needing to rely on anyone. That's the one thing I love about doing this: no one has any answers for you, you are your own boss and it's YOUR OWN ADVENTURE. It's down to you.” 

"The title is kind of a mantra to summarise my philosophy when writing and recording the album. I grew up immersing myself in all kinds of Fantasy genres and I loved the choose your own adventure game-books of Joe Dever. Other kinds of books I was reading throughout the writing process pointed me towards a kind of ‘belief in the self' - there's no definitive, correct way to live this life."

"Despite my creative drive and singular determination behind the album, it's also one that has welcomed some outside input and I'm very excited to have some guests on the album - Tim Smith (Midlake, Harp), Spencer Cullum, Holly Macve, Ryan Pollie and Oliver Newton, with the album being mixed by Chris Cohen in Los Angeles - as I admire each of these musicians so much. At some level it's a bit nerve wracking, bringing in other people, because this is something that you spend so much time building up and making sure that all the pieces are correct and it can feel like, 'oh god is this going to work?' I don't really ever collaborate much but when I do it's because I trust the people I work with."

"Whether it was sitting at home and obsessing over every detail independently or adding some pedal steel all the way from Nashville, the ethos of the album remains rooted in trust, intuition and exploration - a sense of letting go and seeing where the project takes you. I just decided I needed to more open minded, which is exciting. All the little parts of my imagination which had been activated in the past slowly came through. I guess that's again about freedom and your own adventure. Like, just let it happen. Whereas in the past I've been a bit more self-aware. I've definitely let my guard down on this record and not been afraid of the path ahead."

Follow @hollowhand and find out more at hollowhand.com / Curation Records

Max has delved deep to create this awesome mix, so Sit Back, Relax and Enjoy the Ride. 

ERA Sounds 12 - All Nite Radio by The Evening Sons 

Next up on ERA Sounds is a Brighton based band whose power pop vibe captures the breezy, sun-seeking saunter of Southern California's much-mythologised coastal heroes. The Evening Sons... we welcome you! 

The mix offers a glimpse into the band’s musical influences and includes one of their 2021 releases, Morning Serenade, which has an extremely cool skate vid (and needs to be checked out).  

Here's Russ, lead singer, from the band:

"The Evening Sons came about almost accidentally. I’d been asked to participate in an Elliott Smith tribute night but had no band so roped in my old bandmate J Douglas (guitar) and my good friend Simon Goodrick (guitar), he in turn recruited his old bandmates Macca (bass) and Jamie (drums). We had a couple of jam sessions and things came together quickly, we seemed to have a simpatico vibe. We played the show and people seemed to really dig our power pop take on some of ES’s songs. We continued to jam for fun, covering some of favourite songs. Not long after, my buddy Brent Rademaker (Further, Beachwood Sparks, Gospelbeach) asked us to support Gospelbeach on their Brighton show. We obviously jumped at the chance. By this time our mutual friend Dave Veltman (keys, vocals) had joined the band and we started writing some songs.

"We were all born in the early 70s - Simon, Macca and Jamie had grown up immersed in the 80s skate scene, living life on four wheels, listening to post punk hardcore and playing music together. I was very much on the flip side of that scene, my formative years were spent listening to the Beach Boys & Eagles, surfing whenever I could and lamenting the fact I didn’t live in LA. The overlap came in the late 80s/early 90s when we all started listening to bands like Dinosaur Jr, Pavement, Further, Teenage Fanclub and Ride. I guess, years after, all of these cultural and musical influences have found themselves channelled into our music.

ERA Sounds is bit different this time- we have our first entire album to share with you... yes, your luck is in!

This record dropped in March 2020 and it’s safe to say that it hasn’t been far from our turntable ever since. 'High Upon The Mountain' is by the hugely talented, Pacific Range. Oh, and did we mention they're skaters too, rad!

Welcome guys, we're beyond stoked to have you here. 

Pacific Range is rooted in the sun-shiny coast of Southern California. The band’s shared roots in the music of the 60’s and 70’s, combined with a love for contemporary bands like Radiohead, help them achieve a sound that is both classic and modern. Their psychedelic improvisations and catchy songwriting take the listener on a journey through familiar and foreign territory.

Founded by Nate Ward, Seamus Turner, Cameron Wehrle, and Clay Finch (of Mapache), the band went through several brief incarnations before finding its full form and sound. Stewart Forgey joined Pacific Range at first as a stand in for Clay Finch and Sam Blasucci, and then became a full member as they went on to pursue their other projects. Though not official members, Sam and Clay remain extended family members of the band and appear with the band on occasion. Jade joined the band after first appearing on the song “Nothing Else More” on “High Upon the Mountain" album. 

With new music in the works as a five piece, Pacific Range is pushing forward into a world of psychedelic, soulful, sonic-joy that is best experienced in a live setting. The band has appeared on stage with musical acts like Circles Around the Sun, Dick Dale, Chris Robinson, and Mapache. With venues opening up and outdoor events starting to roll again in the US, Pacific Range are out and about. And with a new album on the horizon a tour of the UK is certain to happen soon so keep your eyes peeled. 

Not only musicians but skaters too, we asked the band about their love of skating, Stewart Forgey says: 

"We are largely inspired by skaters of the 90’s and early 2000’s like Rodney Mullen and Daewon Song. We also love Mark Gonzalez and all of the art and music that he incorporates into his skating. We were pretty inspired by Dogtown and Z Boys growing up. Cam and I used to search for empty pools to skate around our neighborhood in Northeast Los Angeles and we’ve all spent a lot of time skating around Venice Beach. One of our favorite places to skate is the high school that Cam and I went to. It’s a pretty well known spot in LA and has been featured in a lot of classic skate videos. One of Nate’s favorite spots is Derby Skatepark in Santa Cruz, CA. It has a legendary snake run that is pretty rad."

Image: Still from 'Studio Walk' video

High Up on the Mountain was released on Californian label, Curation Records which was co-founded by our friend, Brent Rademaker (see Mix 10 below). 

Check out Pacific Range here: Website - Instagram - Facebook

So here it is. Sit back and enjoy the vibe. It’ll make your day, we promise.

• High Upon the Mountain
• Heartbeat of Change
• Studio Walk
• Rainbow Song
• Santa Monica (Through the Canyon)
• Comin' After You
• Guiding the Mast
• Need a Little Rain
• Swap Meet
• Boulevard Indigo
• Nothing Else More

ERA Sounds 10 - Mixed by Brent Rademaker

We are totally stoked to introduce our next ERA Sounds mix and DJ... a consummate musician renowned in the Los Angeles music scene, Brent Rademaker. Welcome Sir!

Brent is a founding member of the California psychedelic country band Beachwood Sparks, whose musical resume also includes the West Coast 90s indie innovators Further. Brent currently tours and records with GospelbeacH.

With a propensity to know what's upcoming and a desire to connect and give a platform to new sounds and bands, Brent founded Curation Records in 2019 with releases from Pacific Range, Farmer Dave & the Wizards of the West, Trevor Beld Jimenez and more.

We thoroughly recommend you check out the bands and the new and awesome GospelbeacH Jam Jam EP which is available now at curationrecords.com

"As the Cars, Cheap Trick and Devo blasted out of the small bullhorn speakers that hung precariously over the freestyle area and the preferred roll-in spot for the half-pipe, the skatepark was buzzing with Friday night "rental rads" and "who's hot" locals getting a session in before the Rocky Horror Picture Show midnight movie later on....suddenly there was silence followed by "power another religion".

"The slightly older girlfriend of one of the skaters who had been ruling the Elton John pinball machine all night pulled a Maxell UD90 cassette out of her velvet purse and gave it to the pro-shop attendant to play.

"She had just visited London in the summer of 77 and she had grown up in California, and while Punk wasn't her main bag she dug the urgency and was attracted to the more glamorous side of Rock and Roll.

"Was this mix side two of that tape? Recently found at a thrift shop in Apollo Beach. Shared with my rad friends from ERA Skateboards."

Brent Rademaker

• Running With The Boss Sound - Generation X
• All Night Operator - Bryan Ferry
• The Ballad of Trixie Silver - David Werner
• Five Foot One - Iggy Pop
• I'm On Fire - Dwight Twilly
• Hot Child In The City - Nick Gilder
• Wild Child - Lou Reed
• Not Enough Girls In The World - Milk N' Cookies
• Hearts In Her Eyes - The Searchers
• Five Foot One (reprise) Iggy Pop
• Do Unto Others - Sandy Salisbury

ERA Sounds 9 - Mixed by Sungodz California

ERA Sounds proudly presents this awesome mix ‘88Again’ by Sasha from surfwear brand @sungodzcalifornia. Here’s Sasha with a nostalgic look back at his teenage years surfing in Huntington Beach, California. 

“Back in 1988 I was a Sophomore at Fountain Valley High School. Fountain Valley was a small town of tract homes, with neighbourhoods divided by long boulevards lined with palm trees and cinder block walls, on the inland side of the larger town of Huntington Beach. Our town's slogan on the sign in front of city hall read "Fountain Valley, A Nice Place to Live". And indeed, it was. But from Fountain Valley it was precisely 4.8 miles down Brookhurst St. to reach the Beach and the peaky hollow waves that broke in front of the Santa Ana River Jetties. For me and my two best buddies, we felt this distance put us at a distinct disadvantage in terms of Surfing- we had to slug it out on long bus rides, tough it out on bikes making our way down the river trail or stand in wet wetsuits after surfing whilst waiting in parking lots for our mom or dad to come pick us up on cold late afternoons. Eventually 1988 arrived and we turned 16 and one by one we got our drivers’ license- at last, we could take the 15-minute speed-race drive down Brookhurst St. to get to River Jetties and into the water as fast as we could. 

“From the moment we walked out of our 5th period class, we were rushing down Brookhurst St. to get in the water. Or in the reverse, we would be in the water at River Jetties before first light, not really knowing what the waves were like till the sun began to light up the sky over Saddleback Mountain. We would Surf like crazed tribal children till the last possible moment then run back to my old hand-me-down Peugeot Sedan. We changed as fast as we could, throwing on our Quiksilver and Taco Surf tees or Baja ponchos- perhaps still wearing a pair of board shorts or jeans tucked into a worn-in pair of tall Ugg boots (Uggs at that time were only something that surfer guys wore after surfing, chicks hadn't caught onto them yet). We’d rush back up Brookhurts St. and get to school just in time for the start of class- stumbling in, hair still wet and adrenaline buzzing through us like someone who had just seen God… not going to lie, we felt pretty cool. And I guess we were, at least in our own little world.  

 “Being 4.8 miles from the beach made us work twice as hard to surf every bit as good as the kids who lived right at the beach and had it at their fingertips. For us, that 4.8 miles felt as if we might as well have been in Nebraska! So, we made sure we surfed our asses off 7 days a week, at least once a day if not twice or even three or four times in a day if it was summer time. Hell, we might even squeeze in a night session under the lights of the Huntington Beach Pier if we didn't have anything else to do. It was the 80's and the feeling was one of positivity, high-energy and the go-fast Surfing that had come in with the Thruster some years prior. Wetsuits were bright and colourful. The better you surfed the more stand-out your wetsuit colours were, like bright red with white, pink, lime green or bright orange. Nobody wore all-black wetsuits back then except maybe grumpy old dudes up in Ventura or down in La Jolla. 

“When we weren't surfing, we would often be at one another’s house chilling in the living room, watching worn-out VHS cassettes of some bootleg copy of one of the current surf movies- Blazing Boards, Beyond Blazing Boards, Madwax, Billabong Surf Into Summer 87, The Performers and Runman to name a few. We would study the movies and the surfing over and over and over again. Every hand gesture, every bottom turn, every snap of the head or pivot of the feet was memorised- until it became second nature and could be recreated to the best of our abilities in the water for ourselves. The music that was in these classic 80's surf films was deeply ingrained in our heads and into our entire being and attitude. These films dictated our musical tastes and attitudes entirely!  It was melded with the surfing and surfers we idolised like Tom Curren, Mark Occhilupo and Cheyne Horan. Just like their surfing, it felt fast, dangerous, acutely modern, futuristic and free. And this music became the soundtrack of our lives. And this is what I’ve put together in this little playlist. I’m giving you a small taste of what it felt like being 16 or so, driving down Brookhurst St. as fast as we possibly could, listening to worn-out cassettes of TSOL, INXS, Agent Orange and the Untouchables- amping out of our minds to get in the water again and nail a turn that had been playing over and over in our minds. Sungodz welcomes you to 88Again. Enjoy.”

 Sasha Sungodz

Read more about the Sungodz brand in our Pool Side blog.

ERA Sounds 8 - Mixed by Vinnie Nylon & Gaye Scrivener

ERA SOUNDS proudly presents ELECTRONICAAGH, compiled by the ultra talented couple @vinnie_nylon & @gayescrivener.

2020 marks Vinnie Nylon's 35th year in British street art, graffiti and the related art gallery scene that has grown up around it to become a global movement. His largely character based works employ a strong use of colour and dynamic forms blended into a unique and instantly recognisable style that has proven to be a hit with collectors internationally.

• APB - I’d Like To Shoot You Down
• XTG - with Marc Almond-The Falconer (Nico cover)
• Chris Carter - Modularity
• UT - Sham Shack
• Pylon - Danger
• Todd Terje - Ragysh
• Etienne Jaume - Metallic Cages (Acid Arab Remix)
• Saada Bonaire - Invitation
• Bagarre - No Toys
• Deux - ParisOrly
• Cabaret Voltaire - Silent Command
• Throbbing Gristle - Distant Dreams Part Two - 1980
• Tony M2 - Wah Wah Land
• Zero Call - Stellar Wind (Adrian Marth Remix) 
• Nagamatzu - Corabella
• Red Zebra - I Can’t Live in a Living Room
• Telex - Voice (1984)
• Section 25 - Looking from a Hilltop
• Anne Clark - Our Darkness

ERA Sounds 7 - Mixed by Joe Horner

We're delighted to introduce our good friend Joe Horner @bigfriendlyjoe and his debut mix for ERA Sounds. Joe has a wealth of knowledge of music, fashion, art and film and is currently studying Filmmaking at the University of the West of England. Totally digging the vibe, described by Joe as feeling like, "An old oak tree with lots of branches... who knows, it's a bit folky, a bit electronic. I hope you enjoy!" 

ERA Sounds 6 - Mixed by Marcus from Hex Record Shop

Here's High and Lonesome - a crackly hour of dusty, downer folk and stoned country rock. Marcus runs local independent Hex Record Shop and is the booker at The Smokehouse music venue and Sound City Ipswich.

• Truck Stop Girl - The Byrds
• Five Year Kansas Blues - FJ McMahon
• Monday Virus - Bob Brown
• Hammond Song - The Roches
• Cassidy - Bob Weir
• Blue Crystal Fire - Robbie Basho
• On The Beach - Neil Young
• Naked, If Want To - Moby Grape
• Sandy Toes - Linda Perhacs
• I'll Find A Way (To Carry It All) - Ted Lucas
• Out On The Side - Dillard & Clark
• Carmelita - Linda Ronstadt
• 20 Million Things - Lowell George
• Faces in the Crowd - Vernon Wray
• The Wheel - Jerry Garcia
• Take Good Care of Yourself - Chris Darrow
• Ohm Sweet Ohm - Charley D & Milo
• Witchi-Ta-To - Brewer & Shipley

ERA Sounds 5 - Mixed by Jon Cooke

Next up is Jon Cooke who delves into Pandora’s Box and pulls out some psychedelic treats for us to tune into. Get on the bus, take a trip and enjoy the ride. FAR OUT!

ERA Sounds 4 - Mixed by David Freeland

Having a party again this Saturday night? Then we have a great mix for you-no 2 from the awesome DJ David Freeland.

Fancy some evening acid house bubblers that turn into wonky-dancefloor disco?

Here you are then.

ERA Sounds 3 - Mixed by David Freeland

Well it’s been a while but we’re back with an awesome mix by the brilliant DJ David Freeland who’s a regular face in the Suffolk music scene. The first of two mixes, this little beauty is deliciously chilled for an easy, stay-at-home Sunday.

Image copyright: John Ferguson

“I have a real DIY approach to DJing and putting on events. I musically take over pubs, bars and restaurants for the day or night. It takes a lot of effort but I would definitely advise young DJs looking to get started to have a go at this and then build your own scene as you go.

 “Musically, I play stuff that suits the situation- always with the audience in mind. I only play records (no files) so have a limited amount of songs with me for a gig, which requires a bit of planning and a strong back! I also only take bookings from people who have heard me play before so they hopefully know what they’re getting, haha! It’s not the easiest way to work but I’m too old to change.” David Freeland https://www.instagram.com/djdavidfreeland/

ERA Sounds 2 - Mixed by Larkebird

We dig an eclectic mix at ERA Sounds so it’s with great pleasure that we dance our way from bona fide 60s surf instrumentals to a bountiful selection of Afro, Funk, Balearic and Disco tunes.

This latest mix is brought to you by DJ & producer, Larkebird aka Tim Larke. Tim first started collecting records during the birth of the 80s acid house scene and by the mid-90s he was DJing in top London clubs including The Ministry of Sound, Bagley’s and Turnmills (R.I.P) and also earned club residencies as a Latin  percussionist.

Larkebird incorporates many different styles into his mixes including Latin, Afrobeat, Jazz and 70’s disco.

Catch Larkebird at his latest Chickie Wahwah - Lemon Soul club night, taking inspiration from the legendary Mancuso loft parties with a music policy playing anything in the spectrum from Soul to Jazz via Disco & Boogie. 

ERA Sounds 1 - Mixed by G the P 

We're loving G the P's latest project where he posts original 45 records resplendent in their original paper 'company' sleeves on a dedicated Instagram feed @company45sleeves. So we asked the man himself (aka London-based burger aficionado, record geek, and all-round Good Egg Gavin Lucas) if he’d record a little mix for us of his favourite surf instrumental records from the early 60s.

Happily, he obliged and here it is – the very first ERA Sounds mix, made especially for us, is ready for your ears! 

"Influenced by instrumental tracks by Link Wray and Duane Eddy, surf rock emerged in the late 1950s as a distinct genre when bands on the West Coast of the US started using Fender Jaguars and effects pedals to play reverb-laden, percussive rock with a “wet” sound. Between 1959 and 1965, the genre produced regional, national, and even international hit records with Dick Dale and the Del-Tones becoming probably the best-known surf act of all time – thanks largely to the inclusion of Miserlou on Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction movie soundtrack in 1994.

"For this playlist, I wanted to bring some bona fide surf anthems such as Pipeline by Chantay's and Bustin' Surfboards by The Tornadoes together with some lesser known instrumental records that no-doubt Dick Dale and his surfing buddies would have dug back in the day. These include a 1959 Mac Rebennack (later to be known as Dr John) record, an obscure but wonderfully frenetic instrumental recorded in Florida in 1959 by The Original Starfires (I've included the sleazy sax drenched flip of that single too), and a recently unearthed, unreleased recording by Link Wray that practically redefines the surf sound. Named Son of Rumble, this follow up to Wray's iconic 1958 track Rumble is set to be released by The Black Key's Dan Auerbach via his Easy Eye Sound label next month. Heads up, surf’s up!" G the P / Gavin Lucas